


celebration

by isloremipsumafterall



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-09
Updated: 2017-04-09
Packaged: 2018-10-16 15:43:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10574406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isloremipsumafterall/pseuds/isloremipsumafterall
Summary: Birthdays are more of a human thing than anything else but once Ryder finds out that Vetra's is coming up she recruits the team to help her find the perfect gift.





	

Turians, Temperance found out, didn’t really celebrate birthdays. Neither did the Krogan or Salarian and the Asari gave up after their two hundredth it seemed but Vetra was different.

 

Sid had mentioned it the last time she was at the Nexus.

 

“Vetra used to go all out on my birthday, Turian chocolate and some gift I always wanted but never could find.” Sid tapped her talons on her face, “We still celebrate it, maybe next time you can come with her. I don’t mind, you’re like family now.”

 

Ignoring how her heart warmed at that Temperance realized that she had no clue when Vetra’s own birthday was.

 

“It’s next week.” Sid dropped on her like it was nothing, “Oh wait. I wasn’t supposed to tell you that I bet.” Sid backpedaled, “You know she won’t want anything, she’s so terrible to find gifts for because she can always just get them herself.” Sid huffed, “She used to humour with that, pretending she didn’t have it.”

 

“So there’s nothing she wants?” Temperance asked, tugging at her sleeves in annoyance as she ran through her mind trying to think of something.

 

“Well, there’s you.” Sid shrugged.

 

It didn’t really help and Temperance sighed, “Thanks anyway Sid. Should I at least have the Tempest docked her next week so you two can celebrate it?” Maybe it was still a private event if Vetra hadn’t told her.

 

“Oh she was never one to celebrate her own.” Sid sounded a little guilty at that. “But if you do think of something to get her maybe let me know. I’ll let you know if I think of something too.”

 

Temperance nodded, lost in thought now. She ducked back to the front of Operations where Kesh’s office was and walked in.

 

“Do either of you know what Vetra might want for her birthday?” Temperance blurted out, catching the attention of both Kesh and Drack.

 

They exchanged glances and then started to chuckle in tandem.

 

“I think Vetra has everything she could ever need Ryder.” Kesh said, “You know that Turians don’t celebrate that right?”

 

“Sid does.” Temperance muttered.

 

“Look kid, I know you and Vetra are like some starry eyed lovers there but don’t put much thought in to this.” Drack told her. “Get drinks, hell, get in to a fight. That’s how I’d do it.” Drack sounded almost wistful and Temperance shot a look at Kesh who shook her head, silently telling her not to ask.

 

“Drinks.” Temperance picked up on the advice anyway, “Yeah, I can find drinks.”

 

Her first stop was to Kandros to ask where to get the best Turian brandy. He sent her to the Vortex with a codeword for the good stuff only after making her promise not to tell anyone – not even Vetra. Temperance didn’t have the heart to tell him she was sure Vetra already knew.

 

Liam was at Vortex when she arrived and sidled up to her when she reached the bar. “You’re not often here pathfinder.”

 

“I’m on a mission.” Temperance said, nodding at Dutch and Anan. “Don’t listen.”

 

Liam looked perplexed but stepped away long enough for her to say the codeword to Anan.

 

“Do I even want to know?” Liam asked as he came back, “Scratch that, I’m curious, what’s the mission?”

 

“Vetra’s birthday.” Temperance admitted, “Don’t suppose you have any gift ideas?”

 

“Ah,” Liam said and scratched at his chin, “She does love Blast-Ohs.”

 

“She has a whole crate of them. I’m pretty sure she brought a life time supply to Andromeda.” Temperance sighed, “But food might not be a bad idea.”

 

Anan set the bottle down and Temperance tried not to look at the price and put it under Pathfinder funding just to spite Tann.

 

“What about a good movie?” Liam looked in thought, “Any you know she likes?”

 

Temperance shook her head, “Wanna do me the favour of getting a title or two from her?”

 

“Hey what are friends for.” Liam dropped his hand on to her shoulder and squeezed. “It’s nice you’re going all out of her. That’s some pretty pricey stuff there.” He nodded at the bottle in her hands.

 

“She’s worth it.” Temperance shrugged, looking down at the bottle and smiling softly. “Every credit.”

 

“You are so hopeless.” Liam told her. “Talk to the others. Maybe they have some thoughts.”

 

Her off time for the rest of the week when not spent with Vetra was sneaking around Vetra to talk to the other crew members.

 

“This is a plant from Palaven.” Cora told her when she ducked into the biolab and explained her plea, handing Temperance the spikey plant that even vaguely resembled a Turian.

 

Temperance squinted at it, “She mentioned she doesn’t even remember Palaven.” Temperance hesitated, “You think it’ll be okay?”

 

“I think you reminded her that having keepsakes from the past aren’t so bad.” Cora said, “Besides it’s traditional to have flowers.”

 

Temperance looked down at the plant again and then back up to Cora, raising an eyebrow.

 

“Well it’s as close as Turian’s get to flowers for now. Sorry Ryder, maybe next year I’ll have better crops for you.”

 

She fled with a thank you and hid the cactus with the Turian brandy, in Lexi’s medbay. She had promised Temperance that no one went poking around there and it would be safe.

 

“Suvi won’t even get a chance to try and eat it.” Lexi assured her. “Now that you’re here however…”

 

Temperance groaned and let herself be submitted to another check-up. As Lexi worked she asked, “You got any advice on what Vetra would like?”

 

Lexi paused for a second, “Believe me Ryder, I think your presence it more than enough, you know she loves you right?”

 

Temperance squirmed a little on the biobed. “I know.” She said, “It’s just that I don’t think Vetra’s gotten enough nice things in her life.”

 

“You’ll have a lifetime to give those things to her if I have any say it, now hold still.” Lexi scanned her again and as soon as she wasn’t looking Temperance snuck out.

 

Suvi had little to offer in terms of advice when she made her way to bridge.

 

“We have some nice quartz rock I might be able to get for you.” Suvi said, “You can say it’s as unbreakable as your relationship.”

 

“Isn’t quartz breakable?” Temperance asked.

 

“Oh.” Suvi bit her lip, “Well yes. Maybe not then.”

 

“Perhaps you could take a shuttle to Havarl, it certainly is a beautiful planet. Those waterfalls do make me think of Sur’kesh.” Kallo sighed in remembrance.

 

“Oh perhaps a picnic, that’s romantic Ryder.” Suvi brightened at having a better idea to provide her.

 

Temperance hummed, “I guess our first real date was rock climbing, I know she likes that. You really think she’d like a picnic on Havarl.”

 

“It’s the company Ryder.” Suvi laughed, “Believe me she’ll love it.”

 

“Well too bad she doesn’t like Rem Tech.” Peebee piped up, her doors open and she must have been listening in. “Though even if she did, I had dibs. Sorry Ryder.”

 

“Thanks Peebee.” Temperance said drily. “But don’t worry, I’ll remember that for your birthday.”

 

“Aw thanks Ryder.” Peebee came out to sling her arm around Temperance’s shoulder. “And stop sweating this, Vetra likes a good surprise.”

 

Temperance tilted her head in acknowledgement of that. She grinned at Peebee, “Maybe I should take an escape pod down instead of a shuttle then.”

 

“Hey, don’t steal my trick.” Peebee dropped her arm to jostle Temperance playfully with her shoulder. “Just have fun though Ryder. Stop thinking so much.”

 

Temperance shrugged to indicate she couldn’t help it and walked off the bridge to make her way to Jaal’s room.

 

“A poem,” Jaal said, looking enthusiastic on the idea of gift giving, “Oh or perhaps she would like a contact with the Angara for supplies.”

 

“Do you really think she doesn’t have it already? I’m pretty sure I saw her talking to pilots last time we were on Aya.”

 

“Ah,” Jaal relented, “You make an excellent point.”

 

“It’s a good idea though.” Temperance said, “If I could find someone she doesn’t already know about.”

 

“I will ask around, find out if there are any on Aya who have not spoken to her yet.”

 

Temperance’s shoulder fell in relief, “Thanks Jaal, I think that’s the best idea I’ve heard yet.”

 

“All though,” Jaal began, making her tense up again, “It is your companionship that she welcomes most.”

 

“I’ve heard.” Temperance smiled tiredly, “But I still want to get her something nice.”

 

“You humans have a saying don’t you?” Jaal asked, “It is the counting for the thought.”

 

“Close enough.” Temperance said.

 

“If you would still like that poem however, just let me know.”

 

She saluted idly in acknowledgement as she walked out and almost immediately bumped in to Vetra.

 

“You okay Ryder?” Vetra asked, catching Temperance to help her right her balance.

 

“Never better.” Temperance grinned, she inclined her head to look up “How are things up there?”

 

“Oh as well as they are down there.” Vetra teased back. “I haven’t seen you all day though so it could have been better.”

 

Temperance was about to say she was there now when SAM came overhead. “Director Tann is on vidcom Pathfinder. He wishes to speak to you about budgetary spending.”

 

Temperance groaned. “SAM can’t you just lose the signal?” She begged, making a face.

 

“He’ll just keep calling. Looks like duty calls Pathfinder.” Vetra leaned down to press a kiss to Temperance’s forehead, “I’ll see you tonight though.”

 

Temperance watched Vetra walk away, sighing and dragging herself up to the briefing area to deal with Tann.

 

~~

 

By the time Vetra’s birthday did roll around Temperance had amassed quite a few things with the help of the crew.

 

She had gone to see Gil about getting a shuttle from Kallo’s advice and he’d found her Kodiak shuttle and shown her how to work the controls to turn off mass effect fields for a more genuine and adventurous ride.

 

“If it’s the sort of riding you want.” Gil said, laughing loudly to himself at the joke.

 

Temperance elbowed him and pretended not to hear his guffawing as she walked away.

 

Liam had dug up Fleet and Flotilla for them and Jaal gave her a datapad with information on it that Vetra hopefully didn’t have. Drack even found her a Turian blade that he insisted was the perfect gift. She had taken it and added it to the pile but doubted that.

 

“Okay what’s going on?” Vetra asked when she was blindfolded this time and Temperance led her carefully to the shuttle.

 

“Duck,” Temperance instructed and then helped Vetra to her seat. “And no peeking.”

 

“Ryder?” Vetra asked curiously. “Temperance.”

 

She hardly got her hear her name from Vetra except for when they were alone and Temperance still felt giddy at it every time.

 

“You’ll see.” She promised and started up the ship, taking it out of the Tempest and then shutting down the mass effect fields.

 

“Whoa,” Vetra nearly fell out of her seat and then laughed with glee. “What was that?”

 

“No mass effect fields.” Temperance explained. “Do you want me to put them back on?”

 

“No,” Vetra was still laughing, her mandibles flared out in genuine delight. “I’m wondering why we don’t fly like this all the time.”

 

“Hang on then.” Temperance grinned as she flew faster, like Vetra she enjoyed how different it felt than the smooth ride they normally got. They reached the spot on Havarl sooner than she had planned and she set down. “Stay here, I’ll uh, be right back.”

 

Temperance dashed out of the shuttle with her supplies, setting up quickly. Suvi had found her a quilted blanket that she insisted Temperance use for the picnic and Lexi had approved all the food, even the Turian chocolate cake that Temperance had baked.

 

“Okay,” Temperance said, leading Vetra out, “You can take it off now.”

 

Vetra slipped the blindfold off and looked around, blinking in surprise. “I…what is all this?”

 

Temperance bit her lip, feeling slightly embarrassed, she cleared her throat, “Sid said today was your birthday. And don’t worry, we’re going to the Nexus later today to see her.” Temperance promised. “But I just thought that maybe we could have this time for just us?”

 

Vetra leaned down, pressing her face against Temperance’s. “You know you didn’t have to do all this.”

 

“I know.” Temperance said, shutting her eyes and just enjoying the moment. “I wanted to. You’ve done so much for me and I love you.” She said softly, “I love that this day gave me you.”

 

“Temperance.” Vetra breathed out and kissed her, her mandibles scratching at Temperance’s cheek lightly. “Thank you.”

 

Temperance pulled back with a grin and flopped down on the blanket, patting it to indicate that Vetra should take a seat.

 

“I’ve got Fleet and Flotilla for us to watch while we eat and then presents.”

 

Vetra rested back on her hands, looking bemused. “Presents?”

 

“Please don’t laugh at them.” Temperance said, setting up the small screen that Gil and Liam had rigged for them.

 

“Did everyone help with this?” Vetra asked, picking up the Turian brandy and letting out a low whistle.

 

“I kinda needed it.” Temperance admitted. “I didn’t really know what you wanted. I mean – you kind of have connections everywhere. If you can find cats way out here in the Andromdea galaxy then me finding something seemed pretty slim.”

 

“This from the person who’s job it is to find stuff.”

 

“Ouch.” Temperance’s mouth pulled down in a pout.

 

“I’d still say you did a good job though.” Vetra reached out to pull Temperance to her side, her hand resting at Temperance’s hip. “You found me you after all. That’s all I needed.”

 

“Yeah I might have heard something like that.” Temperance laughed, “I still wanted to.” She tucked herself closer to Vetra, dropping her head onto Vetra’s carapace.

 

“Keep this up and I’ll want to have a birthday more often.” Vetra said, running her mandible over Temperance’s hair softly. It was soothing and made Temperance relax. “I think there was something said about presents?”

 

“After lunch and the movie.” Temperance assured her.

 

“I can’t convince you?”

 

Temperance glanced up, “You can always convince me. I’m open to all ideas. It’s what makes me such a great Pathfinder.”

 

“A modest one too.” Vetra chuckled. “You know I love you right?”

 

“I love you too.” Temperance smiled, “And happy birthday.”


End file.
